Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) school board members voiced skepticism regarding a newly-proposed STEM-focused charter high school, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. Board members on Monday expressed reservations about the school’s ambitious enrollment plans and potential for competition with programs currently available in Madison high schools, while stressing their “commitment to innovation” in the district. Madison schools already offer youth apprenticeship programs and technical education options, and the voter-approved $317 million facilities referendum covers new trades and auto workshops in MMSD high schools.
The proposal from Madison-area philanthropists and real estate developers John and Jo Ellen McKenzie concerns the Pathway Career and College Academy, designed to prepare students for careers as carpenters, plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians, and more. Students would complete paid internships, work-study programs, and academic classes. Organizers set a goal of opening the school in fall 2026, with an initial cohort of 150 ninth-grade students and ideal enrollment growth to 600 students by 2029.
The board later this month will decide whether or not to allow the submission of an in-depth application outlining the full charter school vision. MMSD operates two charter schools, Nuestro Mundo Community School and Badger Rock Middle School, but has opposed others in the past.
